


The Mind Is a Delicate Thing

by TheGalaxyWarrior



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-09-30 17:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17228237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGalaxyWarrior/pseuds/TheGalaxyWarrior
Summary: Thanks to Gabriel Agreste, Marinette's day goes from reasonably alright to total disaster.Again.But this time, she can't do anything to save herself as her classmates traverse her mind, meeting up with her emotions and getting closer to figuring out her secret.Not to mention, the whole thing is being broadcasted to all of Paris.She should've stayed home today.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to share my first multi-chapter story with you all. I got this idea from some Danny Phantom fanfics over on fanfiction.net, which are pretty awesome and a great read, but, apparently, no one's done it for the Miraculous fandom. So my brain would not let me sleep until I wrote this out. Just warning you all, I don't really have a writing schedule, and my life is pretty hectic right now, so I won't always get chapters out at the same time each week, but I will try to write and publish a chapter at least twice a week. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> ~ Galaxy

For once in her post-Miraculous academic career, Marinette regretted being early to class. The day had begun so well, too. She had completed all her homework the day before and gotten a good night's rest. She and Alya had walked to school together, discussing her recent videos on the Ladyblog and exciting topics to upload between Akuma attacks. She barely took notice of the odd mechanical device set upon Miss Bustier's desk. It was only when Chloé Bourgeois entered dramatically, poor Sabrina stumbling in after her, that Marinette looked away from Alya's intriguing new background designs. The self-proclaimed "Queen of Collège Françoise Dupont" immediately stalked over to the strange device, prodding at it with her finger. She jumped back as it sparked, prompting the class to laugh.  
  
"Ugh! How dare you laugh at me! It's not my fault the stupid thing's broken. Sabrina — call Daddy and tell him to buy a new one!" Sabrina nodded, about to dial the Mayor's number on Chloé's overly expensive phone of the week before she was interrupted by their teacher entering the classroom.  
  
"Chloé, please sit down. I'll explain in a minute, but the bell—" Miss Bustier glanced over at the clock. "It seems my watch is running a bit late today. Please sit down, everyone. We have a special lesson planned for today."  
  
Marinette glanced down to see Adrien, her long-time crush and not-so-long-time friend, waving off concerns from his best friend, Nino. When she saw Adrien's face, she thought Nino had a right to be concerned. Adrien was scowling, an abnormal occurrence for one of the class' perpetual "nice kids."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright?" Marinette asked softly, wondering what was on his mind — if only mind reading was one of her Miraculous abilities. She was proud of herself for having gotten past being a stuttering mess in his presence. Now they were actual friends instead of acquaintances with not-quite-but-totally-dating best friends, and she could ask him things like this without it being weird. Although Marinette seemed to have a habit of making things awkward, she admitted to herself.  
  
Adrien nodded, a smile briefly breaking through the angry expression on his face.  
  
"Thanks, Mari, but I'm fine." Alya, Nino, and Marinette exchanged glances, willing to let the odd behavior slide for now, if only because the class was starting. He kept glaring at the strange machine on Miss Bustier's desk. Marinette couldn't think of any reason why.  
  
Miss Bustier clapped her hands together to get everyone's attention. "Alright, settle down class. I have a special treat for you all. Today's lesson ties into our class unit — emotions, and how they can affect the hero in a story. Now, can anyone tell me what emotions are?"  
  
She pointed at Rose, who had her hand up and was waving it excitedly. "Oh, oh! Emotions are our feelings, like anger and joy and love." The whole class laughed, though this time good-naturedly. Everyone knew Rose was a fan of romance and firmly believed in True Love.  
  
"Good examples, Rose." Miss Bustier nodded. "Emotions are instincts, which can be affected by certain circumstances, your mood, or even your relationships with others. It can be hard to define. Feelings are mental, whereas emotions are a bit more physical. Even so, we barely scratch the surface in understanding how they work."  
  
Chloé scoffed. "I don't see the point to learning all this. Who cares about understanding them; all that matters is that we have them."  
  
Miss Bustier replied, "Well, not everyone feels that way, Chloé. I'm sure that even you will be interested in this," she paused, motioning towards the machine. "I bet you're all wondering what this is. Well, thanks to Gabriel Agreste, we have the opportunity to access more knowledge about how emotions affect us."  
  
Marinette winced, understanding why Adrien was so uncomfortable today. She knew that he had been hoping for, if not expecting due to his celebrity status, a somewhat regular education. His father was interfering with that by sponsoring school contests and dedicating some of the Agreste family wealth to educational research like this device. Whatever it did.  
  
"Um, what exactly does it do?" Mylène voiced Marinette's thoughts.  
  
"I'm glad you asked, Mylène." Miss Bustier seemed a bit excited. "This device allows us to view inside the mind of someone, and to discover what emotions they have!"  
  
The room immediately descended into chaos. Several people began shouting out their opinions. Some were excited, while others were concerned with what the device would show inside their minds. Marinette sat in shock as she processed her teacher's words. She found it a little odd that someone would give a class full of rowdy and irresponsible teenagers an expensive, scientifically advanced piece of technology.  
  
"Oh my gosh, imagine the possibilities! I need to do a segment on this for my Ladyblog! Ooh, what if we could see into Ladybug's head!" Alya's words snapped Marinette back into reality. She had to do something fast before this got out of hand.  
  
"Miss Bustier," Marinette pitched her voice so it would carry over her classmates'. Everyone paused. People were climbing over desks; some were crowding in small groups to discuss. But as soon as their Class Representative glared at them, they returned to their seats, thoroughly chastised. "I have to ask. Isn't this a little invasive?"  
  
Miss Bustier looked surprised. "Whatever do you mean?"  
  
"Well, I think everyone should be entitled to their privacy. What if we see thoughts or memories that the person would prefer to keep hidden? Everyone has secrets, and I don't think it's fair to force them out in the open like this." Marinette hoped they would get the message behind the words and not focus on the part where she implied herself as a part of everyone.  
  
The class mumbled their agreement.  
  
"I can see why you'd think that, Marinette," Miss Bustier began, "but don't worry. The way the device works, it personifies the emotions of the person. Anything the person would be uncomfortable with sharing would be kept hidden by those emotions. Unless, of course, you were forced to travel throughout the entire mind due to unforeseen consequences, but this is state-of-the-art technology, and so it's quite safe. And anyone uncomfortable with it doesn't have to have us look inside their mind. It's entirely optional."  
  
Marinette sat back down, relieved. As long as her emotions kept quiet about being Ladybug, she'd have no problem if she were to agree to use the device on herself. Although she doubted she would, in the case of love being one of her emotions. That would be a little awkward to explain to Adrien.  
  
Of course, at that moment, an Akuma crashed through their window. Marinette almost growled. Why couldn't Hawk Moth ever take a break? She glanced at the shattered pieces of broken glass on the floor. Ah, she'd fix it with her Lucky Charm. The good news was if the Akuma was in their class, it was after someone or something inside of it, and there wouldn't be much collateral damage to the rest of Paris.  
  
As the rest of the class dove under their desks, Marinette and Adrien raced outside. Neither took notice of the other. Marinette ran towards the janitorial closet she always used during class time, closing it behind her before transforming. The iconic red-and-black-spotted outfit that gave hope to Paris formed over her clothes. As soon as it finished, Marinette quickly headed back to the classroom, running into Cat Noir on the way. Literally.  
  
"Ouch, Bugaboo," He grinned, rubbing a spot on his forehead. Marinette rolled her eyes playfully but pulled him along. "Know anything about the Akuma?"  
  
She realized with a bit of embarrassment she didn't even know the Akuma's name. She shouldn't have gotten out of there so fast. At the very least, she should have done her duty as the Class Representative and helped her classmates. "Uh, no. So stay alert and try not to get hit or touched."  
  
"Anything for you, Bugaboo."  
  
They entered the room, yo-yo swinging and baton held out threateningly. The students cheered, hiding at the back of the room or behind the desks. The Akuma turned to face them. It was then that Marinette got a good look at the outfit. He was wearing a lab coat, but entirely black with odd symbols scattered randomly across it. He was holding the machine they had been discussing in class earlier.  
  
"Please, put the device down," Marinette ordered. The Akuma just smirked, playing with the dials and pressing random buttons. "You don't know what it does."  
  
But that had been the wrong thing to say. "I know what it does! I built it! But my ex-best friend thought he could get away with telling everyone it was his idea, his machine!"  
  
Marinette felt sympathetic. It must have been heartbreaking for his best friend to do something like that to him. She'd hoped that by now, Parisians would be better at keeping their emotions under control and learning how doing things as awful as this could negatively affect the people around them. But Hawk Moth kept finding himself new victims, although several of them have been tourists or new to the city.  
  
Cat Noir stepped forward. "Listen, we can help. But you have to—"  
  
Marinette saw the Akuma's hand raise, glowing with energy. Time seemed to slow. All she could see was Cat Noir directly in the path of the Akuma. Forgetting about her powers, about the device and her classmates, about anything except the fact that her partner was going to get hit, Marinette pushed Cat Noir out of the way and faced the blast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, chapter one finished and published! I'm so proud of myself—you would not believe the amount of rewrites this thing underwent (unless you're a fellow author and know exactly what I'm talking about lol). Next chapter, unfortunately, will not feature the class inside her head just yet. But don't worry, it's coming soon. But until that chapter is ready, I have a question to ask of you all: which emotions would you like the group to meet? Of course, I already have a few planned out, but I would appreciate your opinions and ideas! Comment any questions or suggestions you might have, and I'll try to answer.
> 
> ~ Galaxy


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two is here! Sorry about this filler, but I need this part in here. Don't worry, the action will be coming next chapter. Including your first view of Marinette's emotions! The full list of emotions is almost complete, but feel free to comment any ideas you have on emotions I might have excluded.
> 
> Emotions (alphabetized, because I am one of those people):
> 
> Anger, Anxiety, Bravery, Confidence, Creativity, Deception, Determination, Fear, Happiness, Hilarity, Honesty, Hope, Jealousy, Knowledge, Laziness, Love (familial, self-love, charity, amour, amity), Responsibility, Sadness, Seriousness, Vanity.
> 
> Hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> ~ Galaxy

When it came to Parisians, not much could surprise them. After dealing with an actual, honest-to-goodness supervillain and his evil butterflies of doom for over a year now, they had become desensitized to the sight of an Akuma wrecking havoc throughout the city. Oh, sure, it was scary if you were up close and in the danger zone—or, heaven forbid, the target of the Akuma—but the citizens of Paris knew without a doubt that their heroes would save them. Lady Luck and the Master of Destruction hadn't failed them yet.  
  
So when every single screen in Paris started acting up at the same time, it was met with overwhelming annoyance but not much concern. Even the sight of an Akuma's face, complete with purple butterfly outline and ridiculous costume, wasn't enough to strike fear into their hearts. It would only take a minute or two for Ladybug and Cat Noir to find where the latest victim was hiding, and free him from Hawk Moth's influence.  
  
"Hello, citizens of this fair city," the Akuma began, the corners of his lips twitching as if hiding a smirk. "I bet some of you are wondering if you should continue on your merry way, ignoring whatever message I have to say. My advice? Don't. You'll be very interested in what I have to show you. After all, it concerns your precious Miraculous wielders."  
  
That stopped several Parisians in their tracks. Typically, the communiqué was for Ladybug and Cat Noir—the usual "give me your Miraculous or face the consequences" speech that never worked. So why would this Akuma be different, directing the words towards all of Paris?  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I haven't harmed them—yet. Perhaps if I explain my powers a bit? You see, a particular colleague of mine decided to take the credit for a device I created. It was a piece of beauty, something that could change the world as we know it! Give a voice to those who didn't have one! What did it do? Well, it could view the inside of a mind, personifying the emotions of that person for all to see."  
  
All over the city, people gasped. The smartest ones knew immediately what the Akuma's power was, while several others could guess; a year or so could lead to some extraordinary talents, one of which was spotting an Akuma's power or obsession. The Akuma chuckled.  
  
"I see most of you understand now." He said. People wondered if he could read their thoughts. "When Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived on the scene, earlier than expected I will admit, I was a bit careless. In my haste to retrieve the machine, I sent a bit of my power towards them. Of course, it was shocking to see Ladybug take the hit for her beloved partner, instead of the other way around as it usually is."  
  
By now, everyone in the city was watching on some device. At that final sentence, the fear began to take root. Ladybug was the only one who could cleanse an Akuma. If she was taken out, the Stoneheart incident could repeat itself.  
  
The Akuma kept talking. "As soon as it hit, Ladybug disappeared, which was a surprise. What was more astonishing was that everyone in the room disappeared too. An entire class of young students, including a teacher and Cat Noir. All, apparently, inside the mind of Miss Luck herself."  
  
Silence reigned over the town. Both of their heroes were taken out. Who would stop the Akuma? For that matter, why wasn't he more concerned about the fact that he couldn't get their Miraculous now?  
  
"Now," He looked away for a second, seemingly reaching for something. He revealed it to be a strange device. "I'm sure you've got questions. But don't worry, as soon as the young ones travel throughout the entirety of Ladybug's mind, they'll reappear here. Then I'll be able to take their Miraculous. In the meantime, however, I think everyone will enjoy this. You'll get to experience the journey through her head, all while sitting comfortably at home. What secrets will we discover? Let's start watching and find out!"  
  
At that moment, thoughts raced through the minds of all Parisians. It was a breach of privacy. That was a fact. It didn't matter who it was; no one deserved their thoughts to be brought into the open like this without permission. And yet, a few guilty agreed with the Akuma. They would enjoy this. The heroes of Paris never revealed anything about themselves, lest they accidentally give away their true identity. For the first time in a long while, perhaps ever, they'd have information about one of the two Miraculous holders.  
  
The city sat back and waited for the show to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! We get to the good part: the group is in Mari's head and totally freaking out because they have no clue what's going on! Um, yay? So, a lot of you suggested emotions such as anxiety or nervousness for the first meeting. There are a few things I want to adress, to clear things up:
> 
> 1) They will not meet this emotion because it was the last thing Marinette felt before she was hit. They will meet this emotion because they need a guide, one who can act reasonably, teach them on the proper etiquette for going through Ladybug's mind, and who can protect them if the need arises. Not to mention, the class is more likely to believe that a "nice" emotion exists inside Ladybug. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the people of Paris are used to her being an icon and not someone who can feel "bad" emotions. This realization will come slowly, and I can't introduce it immediately as some of you wanted. Sorry.
> 
> 2) Do not take this to mean that anxiety/nervousness will not show up in the story. They will, but much later. As I said, the realization that Ladybug can feel "bad" emotions cannot be rushed, and therefore please don't expect them/suggest for them to show up for at least a few more chapters.
> 
> If you have any other questions or concerns, comment or PM me.
> 
> ~ Galaxy

Adrien opened his eyes. All he could see was gray fog, obscuring most of his surroundings from view. His classmates were lying only a few feet away from him. As far as he could tell, all of them were present, and none had any serious injuries.  
  
He brought a hand up to his head but stopped short upon realizing what he was wearing. He was still Cat Noir! That could either be good or—no, Miss Bustier would do a headcount, and it would be too suspicious for Adrien to be missing and Cat Noir present. With a whisper for Plagg to let go of the transformation, Adrien sat back down and pretended to sleep.

* * *

Back in Paris, the people were restless with anticipation. As soon as the Akuma finished speaking, he had switched the view of the camera to show a group of people lying on the floor of a misty clearing. None of them had moved yet, but it had been less than a minute. And true to form, the body of a young woman with reddish-brown ombre hair began to stir.  
  
Alya woke up. The last thing she remembered was Ladybug, fighting with some weird inventor Akuma, who shot a beam at her. She had disappeared, and Alya couldn't recall what happened next. Where was she?  
  
She sat up, taking note of her surroundings. She couldn't see much, due to the weird gray fog all around, but she did find her classmates lying not too far away. They weren't moving, but—wait, were they dead? She felt for a pulse on her wrist, sighing in relief when she found one. She knew she should check for any injuries, but nothing hurt so far, and she didn't want to be alone in whatever creepy area this was.  
  
And so, with no other way to wake up her classmates, Alya began to scream.  
  
It worked like a charm. Several of the students sat up with a gasp, Miss Bustier included. But Alya didn't stop until even the heaviest sleepers opened their eyes, at which point she broke off with a cough.  
  
"Alya! What happened?" Miss Bustier hurried over to her student, worry evident in her voice. "Are you okay? Why were you screaming?"  
  
"I'm fine, Miss Bustier. I just needed to wake you all up, and I couldn't think of another way." Alya smiled sheepishly.  
  
Her teacher nodded slowly. "Well, thank you then, but please don't do it again. I was so worried something was wrong."  
  
"Something is wrong!" Alya almost groaned when she heard Chloé's voice. She did not want to deal with a spoiled brat whining about what her daddy would think about having her perfect manicure ruined. "We're in the middle of nowhere, and my phone won't work!" She shoved the phone into Alya's face. "Work your voodoo magic, wifi girl."  
  
Other kids started yelling how their phones weren't working either, and Alya smiled fondly when hearing Nino complain about his favorite camera dying on him. He could be such a drama queen sometimes, but she found it cute.  
  
She felt her face turn red. Did she call Nino cute? Whatever, she would deal with her traitorous brain later. Right now, someone had to take charge, and since Marinette wasn't here—no surprise there—it would have to be her or Miss Bustier since there was no way she was letting Chloé lead them out of here.  
  
A giggle silenced the loudest of the bunch. It sounded happy, carefree. Like there was no greater joy than finding a bunch of teenagers freaking out in the middle of a misty clearing. The fog broke apart to reveal—  
  
"Ladybug?" Everyone gaped at the sight of the ordinarily stoic superheroine doubled over with laughter. For some odd reason, the red in her outfit was a bright yellow, reminding Alya of the sun. Her hair ribbons had also undergone a color change, along with the mask. It wasn't a particularly bad change, just unexpected.  
  
"Um, no." The girl said, fighting back a smile. "Not in the way you're thinking. Let me explain. You remember the Akuma I was fighting? Yeah, his power coincides with the machine he wanted. He can send people into the mind of whomever that beam of his hit. And since I dove in front of Cat Noir to save him..."  
  
"You mean to tell me," Alya began, her mind whirring as she processed the thoughts running rampant throughout her mind, "that we're inside the head of Ladybug, Paris' savior and most famous hero in the city?"  
  
Not-Ladybug frowned, and no words could describe how wrong that looked on the oddly cheerful girl. "Second most famous. Cat Noir does a lot more good than I could ever hope to accomplish. He's the real hero." She insisted, looking down at the ground in contemplative silence for a heartbeat before her head sprung back up with a grin.  
  
"Ladybug! You remember me, Chloé Bourgeois, your best friend?" Chloé shouted, forcing her way over to the superheroine.  
  
"Actually," Not-Ladybug smiled, "call me Happiness. That's the emotion I represent."  
  
"What do you mean, the emotion you represent?" Alya interjected over Chloé, trying to ascertain as much information as possible. The journalist in her wanted to explore Ladybug's head some more, maybe find some secrets to uncover for the Ladyblog. But the scared teenage girl in her wanted out of this dangerous situation, and Alya was more inclined to listen to it.  
  
"Well, you remember what the device did, right?" Happiness looked expectantly over at Max, who seemed shocked at the attention.  
  
"I recall Miss Bustier saying it would, and I quote, 'allow us to view inside the mind of someone, and to discover what emotions they have.'" He answered. Happiness clapped politely, sending him a small smile.  
  
"Yup! So I'm M—Ladybug's happiness. Cool, huh?" The energetic yells she received in reply made her smirk. "So, since the only way out of here is to meet all the emotions, how about a tour, yeah?"  
  
She whistled, and the fog cleared away to reveal they were standing on top of the Eiffel Tower. Several students clambered away from the edge, though Happiness just laughed at them and sat there with her feet dangling in the air. Around them, the scene before them was almost magical. Blankets and pillows were over in a corner, set up as though someone had given up halfway through a fort. There were empty bowls and dishes, scattered atop a table, and candles were burning bright against the night sky. The setting sun was barely peeking over the high roofs of Paris, bathing the area around it in a heavenly glow. A calm breeze blew by ruffling hair and clothes. Alya felt as though she could live in this moment forever and never get tired of the view.  
  
"Wow..." Alya wasn't sure who said it but could see several others nodding empathetically with the sentiment. Including herself.  
  
"Beautiful, isn't it?" They all glanced over at her. She didn't seem to notice, caught up in the view. "This is a special superhero secret, so don't go telling anyone. Me and Cat Noir come up here sometimes to hang out and relax. It's where I'm at my happiest, and one of my happiest moments. So my room altered itself to fit."  
  
"Your room?" Nino sat down beside her, and she grinned. She pointed toward a paint-splattered door hanging over by the far wall.  
  
"That leads to my neighboring emotion. And yes, my room. Us emotions don't just go wandering around the place, after all. We've each got a special area for ourselves." She hesitated. "Some of us aren't the nicest, so I'm warning you now to be careful. Don't touch anything, especially if given to you by the not-so-nice emotions. And don't annoy any of them. We have a job to do, and you might mess it up, even without meaning to."  
  
As she talked, the ones who weren't paying attention looked around the area with surprise. They knew, of course, that the superheroine and her partner had lives outside of fighting with Hawk Moth. But it wasn't until this moment that they understood what that meant. They may be capable of extraordinary feats, but at the end of the day, they were still human. They enjoyed joking around and relaxing and doing normal, everyday things.  
  
Alya sat down on Happiness' other side. "Maybe you should lead us around. We might get lost, and you could help us if we come across those 'not-so-nice' emotions."  
  
Happiness stared at her for a moment before wrapping her in a bear hug. "You're a genius, Alya! That sounds like a great idea! I've meant to check on the others for a while now, anyway. Let's go!"  
  
And with that, Happiness jumped up, skipped over to the door she had pointed at earlier, and knocked three times. It opened up, and she motioned for the group to follow her in. They did, the door closing behind them as the last one walked through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter three is finished and posted! In this chapter, we finally meet our first emotion: Happiness. I chose this due to several factors, and if you wish to know what they are, just ask.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> 1) There is always going to be a hint as towards what emotion/trait will be next in this and all following chapters. Please do not comment what you think the answer is. If you wish to have your guess confirmed, PM me instead.
> 
> 2) The emotion for the next chapter had been picked. The one for the fifth has not, which means you may still comment your opinion for which one should be met then.
> 
> 3) I recently finished up season two of Miraculous. One of my favorite episodes was Frightningale, especially due to Clara. I love her character and her Akumatized form. But I seriously cannot be the only one shipping her and Marinette when Clara dips her after picking her out of the crowd to play Ladybug. Like, they had the whole romance effect going on in the background and everything!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the story!
> 
> ~ Galaxy


	4. Chapter 4

"Hello?" Happiness called out. "Anyone hoooome?"  
  
"So, uh, which emotion lives here, Dudette—I mean Lady—uh, Happiness?" Nino stuttered, unsure of what to call the person currently dragging him around and holding onto his wrist with a death grip. Alya was in the same predicament. For some reason, Happiness seemed to enjoy being around them the most. Chloé was in the back, venting her frustration over "wifi girl and her stupid boyfriend" stealing away her best friend.  
  
Happiness let go of his and Alya's arms. "Oh, I have a great idea! Let's play a game! See who can figure out which emotion lives here first." She stepped closer to Alix and Kim, a mischevious grin on her face. "I wonder which of you would be able to find out faster. Surely they would be the best."  
  
Everyone else groaned. Sure enough, the two started arguing, yelling out random names. Happiness giggled. Everyone looked around, hoping to find some clue as to what emotion they would meet here. The area before them was a remarkable copy of the Trocadéro. And ahead of them, a view of the Eiffel Tower they had just left. Max frowned, raising his hand.  
  
"You don't need to do that. We aren't in school, after all." Happiness said. Max lowered his arm sheepishly. He had forgotten for a moment, caught up in the familiar argument between his classmates.  
  
"We were just there, at the Eiffel Tower. The door to the other room is right behind us. By that logic, we shouldn't be in the Trocadéro. It's physically impossible."  
  
Happiness rolled her eyes playfully. "Who said anything about logic? We're in my head. Random areas of Paris will appear here, and not always in the spot they would in the real world."  
  
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Max pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "How do you figure out which room will look like what?"  
  
"I told you earlier. The room alters itself to fit the memory of the time Ladybug felt our emotion the strongest. Like how she feels happiest when up in the Eiffel Tower with Cat Noir. So this area is where she feels the most creative—oh, oops! Guess that means the game's over."  
  
"Creativity, huh?" Alya said, a bit surprised. Ladybug was always so serious and determined. She didn't seem the type to waste time on a little hobby. Alya realized with a start that she didn't know anything about Ladybug's free time, an odd oversight for a supposed "expert." Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad if she could learn more about her favorite hero.  
  
"That's what they call me." A voice from behind the group said. They turned to see another Ladybug, this time wearing the familiar red bodysuit. But the normally-black spots on the outfit and mask were different colors, though her hair ribbons didn't seem to be affected by the odd coloring. "Welcome to my secret garden of inspiration."  
  
Happiness bounded over to her and tried to hug her. "Creativity! It's great to see you! Where were you?"  
  
Creativity pushed her back gently. "Talking to some of the others. I had an idea, though, and I couldn't wait to come here and sketch it. Have you seen my design diary?" Her voice had an odd dream-like quality as if she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and instead focusing on something only she could see.  
  
"Nope! I've been on babysitting duty." Happiness gestured to the class.  
  
"Don't worry, Happiness. After dealing with Manon, it shouldn't be too much of a problem to take care of a bunch of teenagers." Creativity smiled. "An absolute angel, I recall."  
  
"Tell that to Responsibility." The two laughed. Happiness turned back to the class. Several of them looked confused. "So, this is Creativity. She's the artsy one. She can be kind of a ditz, forgetting to do other things when she gets inspired, and she's a little messy, though not much. She influences our Lucky Charm a bit by figuring out how to use the object we summon."  
  
"How do you know Manon?" Alya asked. She knew Marinette was the little kid's babysitter and Nadja adored her, so for what reason would Ladybug know of Manon? Happiness and Creativity exchanged glances, both wincing slightly and concealing panicked looks.  
  
"Oh, you know, I've seen her around." Happiness said, trying and failing to act nonchalant. Creativity sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "A—and, um."  
  
"As an Akuma, Puppeteer." The other emotion cut in. She motioned for the group to follow her as she walked over to the steps behind them. "As I said earlier, welcome to my secret garden of inspiration. I come here often to think up new designs."  
  
Miss Bustier looked around the area in surprise. She knew the area well, of course, but couldn't recall ever seeing Ladybug there. Maybe she came in her civilian form? And that phrase "secret garden of inspiration." It sounded familiar, but how?  
  
Creativity sat down on the top step, Alya and Nino just a beat behind. "What Happiness said about me is true. Of course, any questions you wish to ask I will try to answer—"  
  
Chloé squeezed herself between Nino and Creativity. Undeterred by the glare sent her way by him and Alya, she focused entirely on the emotion. "I'm sure you're incredibly talented at whatever you do. Oh, I bet you're a dancer, like me! You're always so graceful, that must be it!" Before Alya could remind Chloé that Creativity had talked about sketching, and therefore more into the graphic arts than performing ones, the two emotions burst out laughing.  
  
"Me? Graceful?" Creativity had tears in her eyes and a broad smile on her face. "Hahaha! No way! I'm a total klutz! Oh, Happiness, she would get along so well with Hilarity!" She turned to Chloé. "I'm afraid I'm more of a designer than a dancer. Especially for outfits."  
  
"You design outfits?" Alya interjected, amused by both Chloé's disappointment in her idol and invested in the knowledge the emotions were giving the group. "Wow, you sound like Mari. She's clumsy and creates clothes too."  
  
Creativity stiffened. "Yes, well, Marinette is something." Happiness laughed, though there was a bit of a nervous undertone that had Alya worried. "Anything else you want to know?"  
  
The class murmured amongst themselves, a few calling out questions to which Creativity and Happiness gave vague answers. At some of their replies, the group wondered why they refused to give out knowledge.  
  
Creativity said, "Some are not our answers to give. There are other emotions, with domains over the questions you speak. I cannot tell you about who we love, or what my fears are, or anything of the sort that does not pertain to Ladybug's creativity."  
  
"So," Happiness clapped her hands, startling the group. "If no one else has any other questions for my dear friend, I suppose we should move on to the next room."  
  
Together, except for Creativity who stayed on the steps, the group headed for the door, painted this time a two-toned black and white. Happiness, again, knocked three times, waiting for the door to swing open before walking inside, the class only a few steps behind.


	5. Chapter 5

The class stopped. This room was unlike the others. Instead of a Parisian monument, they were standing in a square room with blank walls surrounding them. The room was plain—there was nothing inside save for two emotions standing in front of the group, arguing with each other.  
  
"What do you want me to do about it?"  
  
"Something! Anything! It's your job, not mine."  
  
"Maybe you should have it instead, then!"  
  
Happiness cleared her throat. The two emotions spun around to look at her, simultaneously yelling "what?" before glaring at each other. As their guide went over to calm the rising tension, the group began to examine the two unknown members of the diverse cast residing in Ladybug's mind. What was odd about them was that they looked remarkably similar, enough that they had trouble telling them apart.  
  
One of them looked exactly like Ladybug, with the same outfit and color scheme. It was confusing, as the emotions they had met before had worn variations of the regular bodysuit, neither one being a perfect match. This one seemed to be so. She carried herself like Ladybug was known to do, commanding and dignified. It was jarring to everyone.  
  
As for the other, the emotion was a copy of the first, but with slight deviations that made the entire picture seem wrong somehow. The hair was a shade or two lighter, and the ribbons were tied back loosely as if the emotion had rushed to put them. The mask was slightly askew, and if one looked closely, they could see an almost invisible elastic band keeping it in place. Again, the bodysuit seemed to be a copy of the original Ladybug's, but the spots on this outfit were white.  
  
"Guys, we have company." Happiness once again introduced the class by gesturing to them. The emotion with white spots waved, to which some of the kinder students waved back shyly. She smiled and started walking towards them.  
  
"Hi, there! Sorry about that, we get a little carried away sometimes. Come with being opposites, I think." She pointed at the other emotion, who was coming towards them, evidently finished explaining the argument's cause to Happiness. "That over there is Deception. I'm Honesty."  
  
"That," 'Deception' said, "is a lie."  
  
 'Honesty' groaned. "Seriously? Can we not do this right now?"  
  
The class watched as the two started verbally sparring again, once again forcing Happiness to bounce over and intervene, scolding them for fighting after they had just stopped. Both claimed to be Honesty, but her counterpart Deception was lying. Unfortunately, the group had no way to tell who was which.  
  
"Wait, so which one of you is Honesty?" Alya stared in between them, trying to work out the puzzle. She had immediately believed the white-spotted one, but now she forced herself to think. The black-spotted emotion looked more like Ladybug. It made sense for her to be telling the truth, more than it did for it to be the other one.  
  
"I'm Honesty!" They both cried, prompting Happiness to put her hands over their mouths. "Mmph!"  
  
"Sorry about these two, they're always fighting. Honesty really can't stand lies, and Deception can't stop telling them." Happiness explained. She seemed to have no trouble holding onto the two. They were currently trying to reach for each other, presumably to have a physical fight next, but Happiness kept them apart. "Can you not tell them apart?"  
  
"Well, yeah, but which one is which?" Nino asked.  
  
Happiness giggled. "Oh, but it would be too easy if I were to tell you! How about this? Since our last little game was interrupted before it could finish, let's play a new one! Each person can ask them one question. Once you receive both of their answers, try to figure out which one is the lie; then you'll know!"  
  
Alya was about to call for a moment to assess the situation—with only one guess per person, they couldn't waste it—but Chloé ran over to the three emotions, positioning herself right in front of them. She posed, one hand on her hip, and flipped her hair, smiling. "This is barely a game since I've already won. All I have to do is ask you a single question, and I'll know. So, here it is: are we best friends?"  
  
"Yes." The one with black spots said. The other replied, "No."  
  
Chloé hugged the emotion with black spots. "Oh, Honesty, you're too kind." Alya facepalmed, and the other kids started murmuring. None of them believed in that question being their irrefutable evidence as to the emotions' identities. Each person ran up to them, asking a question that would result in different answers from the two. The person who inquired would declare Honesty to be the one who answered the way they expected her to. With each failure, Happiness would laugh harder, and poor Alya would grow more frustrated.  
  
"Enough!" Alya cried, startling the others. It was time for this parade to end. She stalked over to the emotions and looked both directly in the eyes for a heartbeat each. She needed to ask something easy and simple, something that only the truth-teller would be able to answer. "Tell me this: what is one plus one?"  
  
Everyone stared at her. There was complete silence for a moment before the emotion with white spots on her outfit spoke up. "Ha! I knew you'd be able to figure it out, Alya. The answer's two."  
  
Deception glared at her counterpart. Before another fight could brew, Happiness interrupted. "Congratulations! You win the game! So, now that you know who's who, why don't you try asking some more questions so that Honesty can answer truthfully."  
  
Alya stepped forward. The others hushed themselves to listen to what she had to say. As the one who had won the game, she had the right to go first. Alya thought about what she wanted to ask. She had millions of questions, mostly ones she had been saving for her next interview with Ladybug. But during those, Ladybug could lie. Alya had to assume she was telling the truth because there was no proof as to the contrary. Right now, she had the opportunity to get an honest answer. And there was only one question on her mind.  
  
"Why did you want to become a hero?"  
  
Honesty sighed. "I knew you would ask that. Well, I worried about it, technically. You always go for the hard ones, Alya. But here's your answer: I didn't."  
  
The class gasped, shocked at her answer. And though they didn't hear it, so did the other citizens of Paris, the ones watching safely in their homes that Ladybug had saved from destruction countless times. She had saved their lives, their beautiful city. How could she not have wanted to be their hero? Few of them thought back to the day when Hawk Moth had sent out his first Akuma, and the people of Paris were terrified of this new villain with magical powers. And even then, not many remembered how scared their hero had been, how she had doubted herself and thought her only talent was messing things up. Instead, they watched with curiosity as the emotion continued.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Why would I save people if I didn't want to? Well, I may not have wanted to at first, but when I realized how much danger you were all in, I knew I couldn't stop just because I was afraid, not when people were counting on me. I received my Miraculous from someone for a simple act of kindness, and when I learned how to use my powers, I started to fight back against Hawk Moth. It hasn't been easy, of course, and there were times when I wished to give it up. One time I tried to—" she waited for the group to hush before continuing, "but the person never managed to put the earrings on. I raced after them to make sure they got them, but... eventually, I realized why the person who gave me the Miraculous did so. And I vowed to honor his choice, and to be the best Ladybug I could be."  
  
Alya could almost say she regretted asking. Almost. Yes, she felt a bit guilty at somewhat forcing Honesty to give her the answer, but at the same time, she was glad. She would never have known her idol was carrying a burden like this every day. For some reason, the idea of this paragon of justice and kindness being more human than she realized wasn't as scary as she once might have thought.  
  
"I'm sorry," Alya said.  
  
Honesty gave her an appraising look. "Don't be. Did you know, I once thought you'd be a good fit for the Ladybug Miraculous?" Alya stilled. Was this emotion saying Ladybug had wanted to give the Miraculous to her?  
  
"Not anymore?"  
  
"I know why this Miraculous was the best fit for me. It helped me, gave me the confidence I had lacked. You don't need that kind of guidance. You're already brave, always seeking out justice and demanding the truth, even when it could get you in trouble."  
  
Alya blushed, remembering how her drive to unmask Chloé as Paris' savior had led to a suspension and an Akumatization. She recognized her passion as both a strength and a fault. She had to stop herself from going too far, but thankfully Nino was the best cameraman a junior reporter could ever have.  
  
Happiness let the two opposites go, causing both to fall to the floor. Honesty and Deception glared at each other before moving away to allow the group to pass. The emotion grinned cheerfully and started walking to the door. This one was pink with an oddly shaped heart design painted on it. They all followed Happiness as she stepped inside the next room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so, so sorry about the late update. I've been going through some things (My mother, my generalized anxiety/perfectionism, my depression, etc.) and I couldn't bring myself to finish this chapter. I finally got it done, though, and I realized I couldn't let you all done, because you've all been so supportive and wonderful and nice and you deserve this. I rushed to get it done, so the ending isn't perfect and the reactions are a little eh and sorry to everyone who wanted a really funny Adrien reaction because I just couldn't write it. I'll try to do better. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> ~ Galaxy

Happiness called out to the room's occupants as soon as they entered.  
  
"Amity! Come on over; I've got a surprise!"  
  
The class looked around warily. There were five emotions this time, all looking remarkably similar. They all had the same standard Ladybug suit (although it did seem to be a few shades lighter than usual, almost pinkish) with no significant differences. However, it was still easy to tell them apart—they each wore a single rose tucked behind one ear, each one a distinctive color. The one Happiness had yelled to, Amity, had a yellow one.  
  
"Oh?" She said, turning around. As soon as she caught the eyes of Alya, she stilled. Then a bright smile overtook her face. She came closer, wrapping Alya in a hug. "Alya! It's so good to see you!"  
  
The class watched in confusion. The other emotions came closer, knowing smiles on their faces. Happiness giggled.  
  
"Uh, who are you?" Alya asked. She watched as Amity's face fell slightly at her words, though she didn't understand why.  
  
"I'm Amity! I represent Ladybug's love for her friends."  
  
Alya looked around before settling her eyes on Amity, pointing towards herself with her thumb. "Me? Ladybug considers me a friend?" Alya liked to think she and the spotted superheroine were on amicable terms, but friends?  
  
"Yes, silly." Amity didn't let go. Nino came closer, and she brought him into the hug too. "Nino! Yay, you're here!" Now, this was odd. Alya didn't even think Ladybug knew Nino, much less think of him as a friend.  
  
"Let him go, Ami." One of the others said, this one wearing a white rose. She seemed to be the leader, as all the others fell behind her. Amity sheepishly grinned and stepped away from the two. As she joined the others, the emotion with the white rose stepped forward. "I'm sorry, she can be a bit forward. Let me introduce you to us all. We are Ladybug's Love emotions."  
  
"Why are there so many of you?" Nino asked.  
  
"Well, we each represent a different type of love. For example, you've already met Amity, who represents friendship—" Amity waved to the group. "—along with Familial, Amour, and Self-Love. I am Charity."  
  
Each one stepped forward as they were named. Familial had a blue rose; Amour was the one with the red rose, and Self-Love carried a deep purple one.  
  
"So, what do each of you represent?" Nino asked.  
  
Charity looked amused. "I thought you would know by the names. Familial is love for our family, Amour is romantic love, and Self-Love is how much we care about ourselves. Charity means love for the community." She motioned for the others to go ahead to meet the group.  
  
"Love for the community?" Alya repeated.  
  
Charity gave her a patient smile. "Well, I wouldn't bother saving everyone if I didn't like them. This city is our home, our entire life, and that includes the people in it. Although I must admit, I do prefer certain people over others." She winked, glancing over at Chloé for less than a second. Alya had to restrain herself from bursting out laughing.  
  
She noticed Adrien hanging out in the back of the crowd, his face a bright red. What was up with him? Earlier in class, he had been acting off, and now he was blushing like crazy. She went over to talk to him, but before she could, one of the emotions rushed past and attached herself to him.  
  
"Adrien!" The one with a red rose, Amour, said, smiling sweetly at him. The entire group froze. Amour was romantic love, so that must mean— "I'm so glad you're here, my love."  
  
Charity winced. "Um, Amour, maybe you shouldn't—"  
  
Amity attached herself to Alya, one arm holding onto Nino's shirt sleeve. "If she gets hers, I get mine."  
  
Familial stamped her foot in frustration. "Oh, I see how it is. Just because Maman and Papa didn't get stuck in here doesn't mean you guys can gloat about it!"  
  
Self-Love shook her head at the actions of her fellow Loves, smiling shyly. Just like the Morality twins, they had a bit of an issue cooperating, if only because they were such a large group. Each one of them was possessive, and, seeing as it was quite impossible to spend all their time hanging out with every single person they cared about, they had to take turns with their respective obsessions. She was the only one who had no desire to do so. Not only because Mari had low self-esteem, but because she would rather spend time with others than being alone. Even the times she usually would have, Tikki had taken to staying close in case of emergencies.  
  
The class watched in shock as Charity tried physically removing Amity and Amour from their holds on Adrien, Alya, and Nino. They were trying to process the fact that Ladybug loved—or felt romantic attraction to, at the very least—Adrien Agreste. It made sense, considering he was a model, but it was odd to think about Ladybug pining after anyone. Well, except for Cat Noir. Even then, he was usually the one flirting (and with Ladybug rejecting his advances).  
  
Self-Love whistled, a loud, sharp noise that had the rest of the Love emotions freeze in their tracks. Slowly, Amity and Charity let go of Alya and Nino; Amour did so as well after Self-Love cleared her throat. "So, um. Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Any, uh, any questions?" She stuttered. Inwardly, she groaned. She was supposed to be a superhero, not some human disaster that couldn't speak accurately within five feet of people she hung out with on a daily basis.  
  
Alya shouldered her way through the group. Wary of being hugged by Amity again, she stopped just in front of her classmates. "So, Charity, you and the other Loves are one of the few groups in Ladybug's head?"  
  
"I'd say only." She replied. "There's us, and then there are the Twins. I don't think anyone else shares a room. Of course, that doesn't mean we don't work together with others."  
  
"Why did Amity, uh, hug me?"  
  
Charity smiled. "She can be a bit possessive."  
  
Amity huffed as she and Amour walked back to their fellow Loves. "So what? We barely have any time to spend with her or anyone because of all this superhero-ing. Even when we do get a break, we've got other responsibilities that take precedence. Is it too much to ask for five minutes with a friend?"  
  
The group waited for her to finish ranting. They'd never realized that being a superhero took up so much time. Fights with Akuma usually ended quickly, partially due to the Miraculous having a five-minute limit after using their unique ability. But, if they understood Amity correctly, it seemed to be cutting into time that she would have otherwise spent with friends and family. Not to mention she had a job—or some other "responsibilities"—in which she was probably doing less than she was capable of because of Akuma attacks at random times of the day.  
  
Charity placed a calming hand on Amity's arm. She quieted down and turned to the group with a sheepish smile. Charity said, "I think it would be best if you went ahead now. There's not much else keeping you in this room, and we need to get you out of here if time is passing outside our head. Your families are probably worried if that's the case."  
  
Happiness ushered the group over to the next door. This one was dark blue. She reached forward to open it but stopped. "Um, just warning you. I told you about 'negative' emotions, right? Yeah, okay. Uh, prepare yourselves."  
  
She opened the door fully, stepping through the doorway into the darkness. The group followed closely behind. As soon as the final person stepped through, the door closed behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:
> 
> 1) In the English dub, Marinette calls her parents "Mom" and "Dad" but I decided to go with "Maman" and "Papa" instead (not for any particular reason, I just like it better)
> 
> 2) This will probably be the last update in a while. As stated above, I am dealing with quite a few things in my life right now and this story is extremely low on the list. Not to mention I have original stories that I am writing that I would prefer to use my free time up for. Sorry to all you guys who for some reason actually like this story (not sure why, it's awful)
> 
> 3) This story at some point will undergo a rewrite. It might be soon, it might not. I am unhappy with the writing style and the character reactions, not to mention some ideas I did not have time to implement that I would like to. I understand that not everyone will like this decision, as many of you have written lovely comments (thank you all) about how you like it the way it is, but this is ultimately my decision and I hope you can respect that. Don't worry, though, I said it probably won't be for a while.
> 
> ~ Galaxy


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Seven is here! Friday is now my update date, maybe like twice a month. Sorry, but I've got a lot of stuff to do outside of writing fanfiction.
> 
> Anyway, I can't believe how far I've gotten in the story. Like I keep saying, the positive feedback is unexpected, but definitely appreciated. I had a list of all the emotions I wanted to put it the story on, like, Chapter Two, and I've gotten through some of them already, so here's the rest of the ones I haven't gotten to yet:
> 
> Anger, Anxiety, Bravery, Confidence, Determination, Fear, Hope, Humor/Hilarity, Jealousy, Knowledge, Laziness, Responsibility, Sadness, Seriousness, Vanity
> 
> As always, comment any ideas you have, either for emotions or what their room should look like.
> 
> Glad you enjoy the story!  
> ~ Galaxy

As their eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness of the new room, Happiness led the group further inside, though she seemed uncomfortable—fidgeting with her fingers and shifting her weight from one foot to the other—but was mostly holding herself still with great effort. When the group could see again, they looked around in wonder. The room, like the others before it, was a blank canvas, with white walls and no furniture or decorations. This time, however, there was only one emotion hunched over in the farthest corner.  
  
"Hello?" Happiness called over to the new emotion hesitantly. "Sadness?"  
  
"What." Sadness' arms covered her head and mouth, crossing her legs and holding on tightly, muffling the reply. From what they could see of her outfit, it was yet again the standard Ladybug bodysuit, colored dark blue with grey dots. Her mask was the same, though her hair ribbons were only dark blue.  
  
Happiness said, "Um. Well, we, uh. Sorta need to pass through here, sorry, we'll be on our way now, it was nice talking to you, see ya at the meeting later gotta go bye!" She stumbled over the words in her rush to speak them as though she was worried the other emotion would stop her. When that didn't appear to be the case after a few moments, she straightened up and tried to smile. To the class, it looked more like a pitiful grimace, but no one was willing to call her out on it.  
  
"Okay." Sadness stayed sitting in her corner, barely moving as she spoke. The kids exchanged glances, wondering what was wrong with her. Happiness bounced on the balls of her feet, shifting anxiously. The awkward silence continued until Chloé sauntered over to the blue-and-grey emotion and entered herself into the conversation as though she had every right to do so. For once, and they would all vehemently deny this thought later if asked, the group was thankful for Miss Bourgeois' uncanny ability to bluntly state what was on her mind.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" She asked, glaring down at the pathetic imitation of her idol, Ladybug. This sniveling little crybaby was not hero material; she should know, as she was Ladybug's best friend and therefore knowledgeable in all hero-related topics. She was about to insult the emotion more when she lifted her head, slowly, and glared—no, not a glare, she was merely gazing into Chloé's eyes. But the sight of her face, oh, she was not prepared for the emptiness she saw in those bluebell eyes. She felt the air rush out of her lungs, even as she struggled to find words to say. But though her mouth was open, she couldn't make a single noise escape her lips. She stumbled backward, replaying vividly every moment she had ever bullied someone. She recalled once when she had made fun of Dupain-Cheng for coming to class late, apparently having slept in and having forgotten to do her homework. Chloé had seen the apparent anger—clenched fists, narrowed eyes, tight lips—and had been satisfied with her handiwork at ruffling Marinette's feathers. But this time, instead of turning to hear Sabrina's comment, she looked closer at Dupain-Cheng's face. When the anger had passed, she saw a brief flash of unadulterated sadness cloud her eyes. It made her stomach churn guiltily, though she would never admit to it.  
  
She broke away from the connection, storming back over to the group and standing close by to Happiness. The emotion winced, stepping forward to stand in front of the group. "I would appreciate you not doing that."  
  
"Doing what? What was that?" Alya had only seen Chloé walk up to the emotion, pause for quite a while, and fall to the ground before running back to the class with an odd expression on her face that she would typically call guilt if it were anyone else.  
  
Happiness turned to the group, biting her lip as if unsure how to respond to Alya's query. "Um, well, we sorta have this thing we can do. We can share memories and moments in either our life or yours. So, for me, you would remember something that made you happy or something that made me happy. But because it's Sadness, you would—"  
  
"—remember something that had made Chloé sad." Alya finished. She was surprised that one of her sad memories would make her act like that, but Chloé Bourgeois could be a decent human being sometimes, she would admit.  
  
"Or one of Ladybug's, or even someone else if Chloé happened to witness it." Happiness corrected. "Most of us don't use it much. No reason to, honestly, except if we need to counter another emotion. Like, if Fear were to take control of Ladybug's actions, Confidence or Determination would use it, because we all remember what happened last time she did."  
  
Nino asked, "What do you mean? What happened 'last time?'"  
  
Happiness froze. "Oh, nothing. It wasn't much of a big deal, trust me, just a little mishap after the first Akuma. We, um. Well, Honesty told you about giving up the Miraculous? Yeah, we put it in a friend's bag so she could use the Miraculous because Ladybug was afraid of messing up again like she had when she forgot to purify the Akuma, but when Stone Heart attacked again, the friend didn't get a chance to find it, so we took it back to fix our mistake. That was a fun first week." She said, laughing nervously at that last sentence. She turned to Sadness, whose head had dropped back down after Chloé had left. "Please don't do that again."  
  
"Okay." The emotion repeated. She pointed toward the next door, a light purple one. Happiness sighed heavily, prompting many concerned looks from the group. She herded them toward the door, stopping just before it. "She won't answer your questions. If you've got any, ask them now, because I'd like to get out as soon as possible and hurry through the next room, too."  
  
"Why is that?" Alya asked.  
  
"Well, consider what emotion I represent. Happiness and Sadness are opposites, and with our ability to affect the feelings of others, you can imagine how it feels for me to be near the opposite of my entire reason for existence." She smiled ruefully. "And the next emotion might not be my opposite, but we have an awkward relationship."  
  
Alya braved asking, "What's next?" She was immensely glad for the mishap leading to them entering Ladybug's mind. Some of the emotions she had expected—confidence, determination, and even Charity, though not in that exact form—but others, well. Alya didn't know what to make of Sadness; although she logically understood that the superheroine had a secret identity and therefore must be human, she hadn't connected the dots to her having human emotions. Undoubtedly, no one was ever only happy, and everyone felt sadness at some point in their lives, but Ladybug? Alya thought back to that one moment, way back in the beginning. Happiness had mention Stone Heart, and Alya could remember one of the first videos on the Ladyblog had been of the heroes' first fight. Ladybug had just stood there as Cat Noir took on Stone Heart. She hadn't understood why, but now she was wondering. Was it possible she had been nervous, with no training or guide to help her navigate her first Akuma?  
  
"We-ell." Happiness rocked onto her heels. "She goes by a lot of names. Nervousness, Stress, one time it was Disquietude. We technically have the option of choosing different names, but she's the only one who ever does. Probably due to her nature, but no one's sure of it. You all probably know her best as Anxiety, though."  
  
And with that, Happiness turned around and opened the door, heading straight inside. The rest followed, careful to stay together and right behind their guide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so at the beginning of this chapter I mentioned all the emotions I've yet to add into the story so far. So, like, funny story. There I was, working on this chapter, when I realized: "Hey, some of the emotions have the same color. Confidence, Creativity, and Sadness all have some sort of blue. But did I actually specify what shade/tint?" So I spent, like, multiple hours (no joke, actual HOURS) researching different shades of colors, their names, their HEX, etc. I'm not even sure why; I mean, yeah, it's fun to go up to my friends and say "Did you know that there's a color called GLAUCOUS?" but really, in the overall scheme of things, I just wanted to differentiate between the different shades in the story for myself. And then, because I'm freaking awesome like that, I had the genius idea to ask if y'all wanted to know the different colors of the emotions. Like, HEX # and all that. I have most of them written up in my doc along with the story, because... um, reasons? (I am not letting four hours of research go to waste, thank you very much.) So, yeah, go ahead and comment below (is this how YouTubers feel? It sounds weird when I say/write it) if you'd like a glimpse of behind-the-scenes for the story.
> 
> ~ Galaxy


	8. UPDATE!

Announcement time!

 

I am so, so, _so_ sorry to everyone. My depression hit me _hard_ and I didn't have the motivation to write anything, much less fanfiction. Not to mention that I have stated multiple times that I did not like this fic and would eventually do a rewrite. It seems that time has come. I understand if any of you are annoyed by this, because you have reason to be. Just know that I deeply regret and apologize for the delay. Hopefully I'll receive the help I need (which is in progress now), and I can come back to writing fanfiction, because I really do enjoy doing so.

 

With that being said, it is with a heavy heart (and yet a weight off my shoulders) that I announce this story to officially be on hiatus.

 

As always, feel free to comment any questions or concerns (or complaints) you may have.

 

~ Galaxy


End file.
